diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/chatStore.test.tsx b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/chatStore.test.tsx
index ace1f20e95..3a53f6f5e3 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/chatStore.test.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/chatStore.test.tsx
@@ -2953,6 +2953,77 @@ describe("useChatStore", () => {
 			expect(textBlock).toBeDefined();
 		});
 	});
+
+	it("does not let a stale REST chatRecord.status override WS-delivered status", async () => {
+		immediateAnimationFrame();
+
+		const chatID = "chat-stale-rest-status";
+		const userMsg = makeMessage(chatID, 1, "user", "hello");
+		const mockSocket = createMockSocket();
+		mockWatchChatReturn(mockSocket);
+
+		const queryClient = createTestQueryClient();
+		const wrapper = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => (
+			<QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>{children}</QueryClientProvider>
+		);
+
+		// Start with a "running" chatRecord so the WS opens.
+		const { result, rerender } = renderHook(
+			(props: { chatRecord: TypesGen.Chat }) => {
+				const { store } = useChatStore({
+					chatID,
+					chatMessages: [userMsg],
+					chatRecord: props.chatRecord,
+					chatMessagesData: {
+						messages: [userMsg],
+						queued_messages: [],
+						has_more: false,
+					},
+					chatQueuedMessages: [],
+					setChatErrorReason: vi.fn(),
+					clearChatErrorReason: vi.fn(),
+				});
+				return {
+					chatStatus: useChatSelector(store, selectChatStatus),
+				};
+			},
+			{
+				wrapper,
+				initialProps: {
+					chatRecord: makeChat(chatID),
+				},
+			},
+		);
+
+		// Wait for WS to connect.
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(result.current.chatStatus).toBe("running");
+		});
+
+		// Deliver a status event over WS so wsStatusReceivedRef is set.
+		act(() => {
+			mockSocket.emitData({
+				type: "status",
+				chat_id: chatID,
+				status: { status: "running" },
+			});
+		});
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(result.current.chatStatus).toBe("running");
+		});
+
+		// Simulate a stale REST refetch returning "pending".
+		rerender({
+			chatRecord: { ...makeChat(chatID), status: "pending" },
+		});
+
+		// The store must ignore the stale REST value because the
+		// WS already delivered a status event for this chat.
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(result.current.chatStatus).toBe("running");
+		});
+	});
 });
 
 describe("thinking indicator event ordering", () => {
diff --git a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/useChatStore.ts b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/useChatStore.ts
index 63db88d184..58ec521da2 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/useChatStore.ts
+++ b/site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatConversation/useChatStore.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,14 @@ export const useChatStore = (
 	// messages are corrected when switching back to a chat whose
 	// queue was drained while the user was away.
 	const wsQueueUpdateReceivedRef = useRef(false);
+	// Tracks whether the WebSocket has delivered a status event for
+	// the current chat. Once true, the WS is the authoritative
+	// source for chatStatus and the REST-fetched chatRecord.status
+	// must not overwrite it. Without this guard, a React Query
+	// refetch (e.g. on window focus) can regress chatStatus to a
+	// stale value like "pending", causing shouldApplyMessagePart()
+	// to drop all incoming parts.
+	const wsStatusReceivedRef = useRef(false);
 	const activeChatIDRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
 	const prevChatIDRef = useRef<string | undefined>(chatID);
 	// Snapshot of the chatMessages elements from the last sync effect
@@ -185,12 +193,19 @@ export const useChatStore = (
 	}, [chatID, chatMessages, store]);
 
 	useEffect(() => {
-		store.setChatStatus(chatRecord?.status ?? null);
+		// Only hydrate from REST when the WebSocket hasn't delivered
+		// a status event yet. Once the WS is the authoritative
+		// source, a stale REST refetch must not overwrite the
+		// fresher WS-delivered value.
+		if (!wsStatusReceivedRef.current) {
+			store.setChatStatus(chatRecord?.status ?? null);
+		}
 	}, [chatRecord?.status, store]);
 
 	useEffect(() => {
 		queuedMessagesHydratedChatIDRef.current = null;
 		wsQueueUpdateReceivedRef.current = false;
+		wsStatusReceivedRef.current = false;
 		store.setQueuedMessages([]);
 		if (!chatID) {
 			return;
@@ -496,6 +511,7 @@ export const useChatStore = (
 								continue;
 							}
 
+							wsStatusReceivedRef.current = true;
 							store.clearRetryState();
 							store.setChatStatus(nextStatus);
 							if (nextStatus === "pending" || nextStatus === "waiting") {